Temperature log in restaurants: rules and good practice

The temperature log is one of the documents food inspectors ask for at almost every visit. It shows that your business actually monitors the cold chain, hot holding and cooking, and that it reacts when something goes wrong. This guide explains the legal basis in Austria and Germany, what a good log contains, how long to keep records and how to explain gaps. What is binding for you is always your own HACCP plan and the requirements of your local authority. This article is not legal advice.

Legal basis in Austria and Germany

EU hygiene Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 applies directly in both countries. Article 5 requires permanent procedures based on the HACCP principles. The seventh principle is to establish documents and records that are commensurate with the nature and size of the business. Under Article 5(4), you must be able to prove compliance to the authority and keep records for an appropriate period.

German food control authorities expect these records explicitly. The guidance sheet of the district of Paderborn states that all self-checks must be recorded in writing, and fridges and freezers checked at least once a day. In Austria, the hygiene guidelines (Leitlinien) issued by the Ministry of Health describe good practice. The guideline for large-scale kitchens, for example, asks for daily records of storage and food temperatures. According to a 2023 letter from the Ministry of Health, applying a guideline is voluntary, but guidelines serve as the practical way to implement the hygiene rules.

Flexibility for small businesses

The European Commission Notice 2022/C 355/01 allows small businesses to simplify their records. It states that effective monitoring matters more than writing it down, and that in some cases only deviations need to be recorded. Check with your authority first whether it accepts this for your business. In practice, many authorities expect a continuous log.

What a good temperature log contains

A template from the food control office of the city of Mainz has columns for date, product, temperature, corrective action and initials, plus a “checked by” field. The EU notice lists monitoring results, observed deviations with corrective actions, and verification results as the content of records. That leads to this structure:

The corrective action is the most important entry

The Cologne Chamber of Commerce (IHK Köln) stresses that any breach of a limit must be documented. A reading above the limit with no action is a clear warning sign for inspectors. Describe briefly and specifically what happened: measured again, moved the goods, called a technician or discarded the food. A follow-up reading shows that the action worked.

How long to keep the records

Neither the EU regulation nor Austrian or German law sets a fixed retention period for temperature logs. Regulation 852/2004 speaks of an appropriate period, and the EU notice recommends defining the retention period in your own procedure. Authorities give concrete recommendations: the guidance sheet of the Wetterau district recommends at least twelve months, depending on the product. The Austrian large-kitchen guideline sets no general period, but asks, for example, for waste disposal records to be kept for at least two years. For training records, the WKO script “Hygiene im Gastgewerbe” states at least three years. Set the period in your HACCP plan so that it covers at least the time until the next inspection and goes beyond the shelf life of your products.

Paper or digital?

Both are acceptable. The EU notice confirms that records may be kept electronically as long as they can be made available to the authority on request. What matters is that entries are complete, legible and traceable.

Paper logs

Paper is quick to introduce but has weaknesses. Sheets get lost, are filled in afterwards or are hard to read. Use permanent pens, cross out mistakes with a single line and add the correct value with your initials.

Digital systems

Digital systems store date, time and person automatically. They can flag deviations immediately and require a corrective action. Make sure you can export or print the complete data at any time.

Explaining gaps: rest days, holidays, breakdowns

Empty lines raise questions during an inspection. A gap is not a problem if it is explained. On rest days and during company holidays, note that the business was closed. If a unit is out of service, record it with the date and where the goods went. If a reading was missed, say so honestly. Invented values entered afterwards are a much bigger problem than an explained gap, because they damage the credibility of your entire documentation.

What inspectors look at

IHK Köln points out that documents must be up to date and shown during an inspection. Check your log against these points before every visit:

• Every fridge, freezer and hot-holding unit is covered.
• The measuring frequency matches your HACCP plan, at least once a day for fridges.
• The limits match the most sensitive product in each unit.
• Every reading has a date, time and initials.
• Every deviation has a corrective action and, where useful, a follow-up reading.
• Gaps are explained, for example with “rest day”.
• The values look plausible and not as if they were all written at once.
• Thermometers are checked regularly and the checks are noted.
• The person in charge reviews the log regularly.

Frequently asked questions

Is a temperature log mandatory for restaurants?

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 requires records commensurate with the nature and size of the business. In practice, Austrian and German authorities expect daily temperature records for fridges and freezers. Small businesses may simplify their records if the authority agrees.

How long do I have to keep temperature logs?

There is no fixed legal period; the regulation speaks of an appropriate period. Authorities such as the Wetterau district recommend at least twelve months. Set the period in your HACCP plan.

What do I enter on a rest day?

Note that the business was closed. That explains the gap, so it does not look like a missed reading during an inspection.

With a digital system such as Kernwert, staff scan the QR sticker on the unit, tap their name and enter the value. Deviations turn red immediately and require a corrective action, and the inspection folder is ready with one click.

This article is not legal advice and does not replace a business-specific HACCP analysis. The applicable regulations and the requirements of your local authority are decisive.